This. THIS is what a complete Rays win feels like.
Taking advantage of opponent’s mistakes, crisp baserunning and a defensive clinic. That is the brand of Rays baseball that has been both the most successful and entertaining this season.
But before we delve into tonight’s on-field action, for the first time since the 2023 Wild Card Series, Tropicana Field’s upper deck was open to fans, and it was quite the treat.
Once fans were able to put butt to seat, there was a pregame ceremony that celebrated the five Rays All-Stars, complete with them receiving their All-Star jersey; Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Drew Rasmussen, Brian Baker, and Nick Martinez. Martinez, added to the roster after Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez landed on the injured list, had plans to visit Walt Disney World with his family before getting the nod that he was Philadelphia bound.
Martinez kept consistent with what he’s done the entire first half, going 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs, and striking out and walking one apiece.
Defensively, tonight’s contest from One Trop Drive started with a spectacular diving play from Richie Palacios on the first play of the game, and a nifty grab by Taylor Walls the play after.
In the bottom of the third inning, the offense clicked.
A Caminero double just past the third base bag and a Chandler Simpson single up the middle later, and it’s 1-0 Rays.
Then Tampa Bay started to flex some muscle. Palacios homered to lead off the fourth inning to bring the score to 2-1 Rays.
In the bottom of the fifth, things got peculiar.
Left fielder Randy Arozarena, returning to Tropicana Field for the first time after being traded to the Mariners in 2024, is nursing a tight hamstring sustained in the series prior against the Marlins.
On a foul ball from Cedric Mullins near the left field line, Arozarena went after it, and pulled up about 20 feet away from the ball, with the ball landing about a body’s length away from his outstretched glove.
From the naked eye, it appeared if he kept running at the same speed during the chase, he would catch the ball for a crucial out in the ballgame.
The very next pitch, a hanging slider, was deposited into the right field seats by Mullins to put the Rays up 3-1, and two batters later, Victor Mesa Jr. decided to get in on the fun, as he left the yard with a solo shot.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tampa Bay went for the dagger.
Jonathan Aranda singled to left, and ‘La Maxima’ did what ‘La Maxima’ does, and that’s have a flare for the dramatic. A two-run shot all but puts the start of Longo Legacy Weekend to bed.
Chandler Simpson continued to swing a hot bat, having had another multi-hit game tonight, and in the seventh had about the most Simpson-esque trip around the bases that he can have.
He singled, advanced to second base on a Mesa Jr. single, advances to third on a disengagement violation for the pitcher stepping off the rubber three times, and scores on a sacrifice fly from Walls.
Kevin Kelly secures the last six outs, and the Tampa Bay Rays win by a score of 7-2.
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